No doubt, the Latest Ford Ranger has truly been the Blue Oval’s staple pick-up truck for a few years now. Formerly, the Ranger namesake was used widely on a US-market pick-up that sat just below the F-150, but was then approved across to the rest of the world in year 1998.
There are mainly three Ford Ranger body styles: the single cab and extended Super Cab that are appropriate for commercial use, whereas the full size Double Cab is also appropriate for private use, too. You can obtain two-wheel drive along with the standard cab, but the mainstream of the range appears with 4×4. There are both manual and automatic gearbox options, and an option of two diesel engines.
Although no pick-ups drive like a car, the Ranger is a good bet from a perspective of the driver. Its ride comfort and body control are spirited, if not class-leading, however the electric power steering is principally good for a pick-up in terms of its power and responsiveness. This is all comparative, of course, and anyone leaping from a large SUV into the Ranger is going to observe the choppy feel on even temperate surfaces.
The Ranger appears along with a choice of two power units, the strong four-cylinder 2.2-litre TDCi proposing 158bhp or a 3.2-litre five-cylinder TDCi unit supplying 197bhp. Ford Ranger 3.0-litre turbo engine is only accessible in Double Cab models and it is only the Ranger Double Cabs that can be harmonized along with the six-speed automatic gearbox.
The Ranger’s finest combined fuel economy of 43.5mpg appears from the 2.2 TDCi model in Super or Double Cab form almost with the 3.15 final drive ratio. These models provide you CO2 emissions of 171g/km but they reduce the Ranger’s towing capacity to only 1,800kg.
If you want the Ranger’s class-leading utmost braked trailer towing weight of 3,500kg you’ll require the 3.55 final drive ratio, which outcomes in a drop in fuel economy to 39.8mpg along with 185g/km emissions. These figures are particularly for manual models, mainly with the automatic gearbox taking collective fuel economy down to 35.3mpg with release of 209g/km.
Further than that is the five-cylinder 3.2-litre engine option, which has 34mpg with the six-speed manual gearbox or 31.7mpg and 234g/km but with the automatic. Whichever Ranger you desire, you’ll find economy is somewhat shy of more economical models like the Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi L200.
The Ford Ranger has always been close to the top of the pick-up class especially in terms of safety. This model attained a full five-star Euro NCAP rating when initially tested it in 2012, and now the facelift has added an arsenal of electronic driver helps to advance matters further.
All Rangers come with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which is nothing extraordinary in this day and age. That said, there is a complete12-year anti-perforation warranty and a year of Ford Assistance breakdown cover provided in.
